WNRNhttp://www.readthehook.com/taxonomy/term/2114/all
enRalph Leon Jackson arrested in Parkway shootinghttp://www.readthehook.com/68073/ralph-leon-jackson-arrested-parkway-shooting
<!&#8211; This will not be inserted &#8211;><!&#8211; This will not be inserted &#8211;><div class="captionLeftLandscape"><a href="http://www.readthehook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/news-parkwayshooting-rockpointoverlook-inset.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.readthehook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/news-ralphleonjackson.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-30780" title="news-ralphleonjackson" src="http://www.readthehook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/news-ralphleonjackson-325x285.jpg" alt="news-ralphleonjackson" width="325" height="285" /></a><strong>Ralph Leon Jackson, 56, was arrested today at his residence for the shooting of Christina S. Floyd and Timothy P. Davis at Rock Point Overlook.<br />
<small>AUGUSTA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE<br />
</small></strong></div>
<p>A Valley man is in custody and charged with attempted capital murder in the <a href="http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/04/06/parkway-terror-radio-personality-in-critical-condition-after-shooting/">Monday night shooting</a> along the Blue Ridge Parkway.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">Ralph Leon Jackson, 56, was arrested at his home Wednesday at 1880 Howardsville Turnpike in Augusta County, the sheriff said at a press conference conducted while the suspect was still being interviewed.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">"There is no doubt we have in custody the man who was responsible for the shooting, so the public can breathe a sigh of relief," said Augusta Sheriff Randall Fisher.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">Jackson is a married mechanic, according to the sheriff, who says Jackson, who has at least one adult child, who made "incriminating statements" establishing his sole responsibility.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">"The Crime-Stoppers tip was very crucial," said the sheriff, who said a tip came in at 2am which caused a multi-jurisdictional team led by the Augusta SWAT team and including a National Park Service helicopter poised for air support to stake out Jackson's home near Stuart's Draft beginning around 4am.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">The arrest, he said, occurred "without incident" at 3:15pm.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">The sheriff complimented the yet-unnamed couple who rescued the female victim, Christina S. Floyd, who also won praise from the sheriff for battling her attacker despite getting hit with a shotgun blast that caused her sunset-watching companion, Timothy P. Davis, to tumble down a cliff with critical injuries.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">Up to three shots were fired, said the sheriff, who believes that Floyd may have wrested the gun away from her attacker.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">Sheriff Fisher says that Jackson appears to be a life-long Valley resident who had no known connection to the victims whom he began shooting from his vehicle, a burgundy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Sephia">Kia Sephia</a>.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">"We have no motives," Fisher said at the Wednesday night press conference. "There's no rhyme or reason."<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">Asked by a reporter if the case might be connected to the double-slaying of two Virginia Tech students at a wilderness campground last fall, the sheriff said he didn't yet know but that the Virginia State Police would investigate that.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">Original story:<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">T<em>he Roanoke Times</em> is reporting that police <a href="http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/242590">have arrested the man</a> they believe committed <a href="http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2010/04/06/parkway-terror-radio-personality-in-critical-condition-after-shooting/">Monday night's attack</a> at the Rock Point Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A <em>Hook</em> reporter is en route to the Valley for a 5pm press conference at the Augusta County Sheriff's office. Details to follow.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">With a suspect in custody, the <em>Hook</em> is now able to identify the 18-year-old female victim as Fluvanna County High School senior Christina Floyd, whose name was previously withheld over law enforcement's concerns for her safety as the best&#8211; and perhaps only&#8211; witness to her attacker. Floyd is recovering from serious injuries sustained during the attack including a collapsed lung, two skull fractures, and broken fingers. At last update, she was in fair condition at UVA Medical Center.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">The other victim of Monday's attack, WNRN operations manager Tim Davis, 27, was even more seriously injured after he was shot in the back and tumbled over the edge of the overlook, landing approximately 150 feet below. At last update, he had been unable to give a statement to law enforcement and remained in critical condition.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace"><em>4:51pm update: Christina Floyd's name</em><br />
</p><p class="whitespace"><em>5:12pm update: Suspect's name (last updated 5:52pm)</em><br />
</p><p class="whitespace"><em>&#8211;last updated 10:26am Thursday, April 8<br />
</em><br />
</p><p class="whitespace"><em>Original headline: "Breaking: Arrest in Parkway shooter case"<br />
</em></p>
http://www.readthehook.com/68073/ralph-leon-jackson-arrested-parkway-shooting#comments_BreakingNewsFeaturedCrime/Justiceblue ridge parkwayshootingWNRNWed, 07 Apr 2010 20:01:50 +0000hawes68073 at http://www.readthehook.comSumming it up: Station Break 2 surveys local scenehttp://www.readthehook.com/100168/summing-it-station-break-2-surveys-local-scene
<p>Music is not the easiest thing in the world to describe. Often critics resort to comparisons to larger acts when they’re talking about bands, but this is a useful tactic only if the reader knows what the bigger act sounds like. <br />But now, for the reasonable price of $13.99, you can suddenly get almost all the knowledge you need so that when you open up your Hook you’ll know exactly what the musical group playing on any given night sounds like. The answer to your prayers has come-– Station Break 2 is here.<br />Station Break 2 (SB2) is the second installment of the SB series-– a compilation of some of the best music in town from those clever fellows and gals at WNRN. This time around, the music has been presented on two CDs&#8211; one called “Roots,” the other, “Rock.” In total, 43 tracks of local goodness await. Don’t like roots? Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to CD2. Don’t like rock? Follow same procedure, but end up at disc 1. <br />“Roots” starts with the previously unreleased track “Whippoorwill” by Robin &amp; Linda Williams. Softly picked acoustic guitar leads off the track, until Robin enters, singing a sweet folk melody. He is joined by Linda on the choruses, where their harmony is about as ‘60s as you can get, bar time-travel or older recordings. <br />From there, blues/world music practitioners Corey Harris &amp; Harry Butler show off their dobro/honky-tonk piano skills on the rousing (although drumless) track “Shake What Your Mama Gave You.” <br />Other highlights on “Roots” include “Ionesco’s Chair” by singer/songwriter Jan Smith&#8211; her sweet voice plays on a clever melody to a mandolin and acoustic guitar-filled background. “Letting Us Be” displays singer/songwriter Paul Curreri’s swifter-than-light guitar picking, and his catchy-without-being-syrupy melody frames some of his cleverest words.<br />“Rock” immediately switches things from passive to aggressive with a loud and twitchy track by indie-rock group All of Fifteen-– “This Town”—and, yes, this song is about Charlottesville (or at least some place with a similarly described “Downtown Mall.”) Dave Matthews Band, of course, gets a slot on SB2, with their song “Grey Street (Rock Remix).” I liked this song fine, although the riff that drives the song is extremely similar to another one of their hits from the early ‘90s (the name of which escapes me). <br />The track by local hip-hop and more group Beetnix, “Selective Seduction,” breaks up the hard rock nicely, with Hook music reviewer Damani Harrison’s intelligent double tracked vocals providing the almost continuous drive, as the background samples drop in an out. <br />Don’t know what Bella Morte actually sound like, never seen the Hackensaw Boys, or always wondered what’s up with Devon Sproule’s local fame? Station Break 2 will provide you with the answers.<br /><br /><br /><em>WNRN Presents - Station Break 2 CD Release and Local Artist Showcase with Andy Waldeck, Nickeltown, Mando Mafia, Scuffletown, Faster Than Walking, Halfgrassd, Brady Earnhart, Heather Berry &amp; the Berrypickers, Kathryn Caine, and Jan Smith at Starr Hill, July 18. $10, 8pm.</em></p>
http://www.readthehook.com/100168/summing-it-station-break-2-surveys-local-scene#commentsWNRNCultural previewFri, 12 Aug 2011 13:57:35 +0000anon100168 at http://www.readthehook.comPhat fees: The day the music died?http://www.readthehook.com/92405/news-phat-fees-day-music-died
<p>WNRN 91.9 is in trouble. Well, not in trouble so much as fairly irritated.</p>
<p>You will be too, if you listen to the station via the internet. Of course, you're equally in trouble if you listen to HipHopBuzz, or KPIG, or Saratoga Dance Jams from your computer's speakers.</p>
<p>And if you don't listen to any of these internet stations, maybe you should think about it. With just a little searching, you could be listening to folk, blues, new release radio, doo-wop, or African drums&#8211; something besides the same five artists that the vast majority of radio stations play all day everyday.</p>
<p>On the other hand, don't get too attached. Most of internet radio&#8211; including Charlottesville's homegrown 91.9&#8211; may come to a crashing halt in October.</p>
<p>That's when internet radio will have to start paying, as well as back-paying, royalties on the songs that they stream out to listeners in cyberspace. For the vast majority of internet radio providers, including WNRN, the fees will be too much.</p>
<p>The short story goes like this. In February, the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel (CARP) issued a ruling on how royalty fees for web casting radio should be paid, and in June the Library of Congress also ruled on the rates. For internet radio, these decisions did not go well. Both internet-only stations and commercial radio stations with web-streaming options would pay 0.07 cents per song per listener. This means that for each song with a thousand listeners, webcasters would owe 70¢.</p>
<p>Worse for the stations, the fees are retroactive to 1998, when the Digital Music Copyright Act was signed into law. While traditional broadcasters have agreements worked out between Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) that cost them about 5 percent of their budget a year, internet radio stations will owe more than they take in.</p>
<p>The fees add up to thousands of dollars for the average internet station. For internet-only stations, that's usually thousands more than they earn.</p>
<p>"It's amazing," says Mike Friend, general manager at WNRN. "I don't understand how the Library of Congress got snookered into this with the record companies."</p>
<p>WNRN has been broadcasting on the internet to reach areas unserved by its 350-watt transmitter.</p>
<p>Friend thinks that record companies, frustrated by illegal internet downloads, are now shooting themselves in the foot.</p>
<p>"Here's one outlet that's got reasonable penetration&#8211; that's the internet&#8211; and the record companies are trying to stop it," he says.</p>
<p>One current bright spot is a bill introduced in July by Representative Rick Boucher (D-VA). The bill would waive the fees small webcasters owe until a new CARP panel can reconsider. Unfortunately, legislators are on recess until September, leaving just a month for something to happen before fees kick in.</p>
<p>There's another light on the horizon. Artemis Records, home to artists such as Steve Earle and the heavy metal band Kittie, announced last week that it would wave internet radio fees for one year. Given that Artemis' artists don't fall into the magic few played constantly on major radio stations, Artemis sees internet radio as a great means of exposure. Friend believes other record companies will eventually follow suit.</p>
<p>"I think they're going to have second thoughts," he says. They're starting to get some real sales from internet radio.</p>
<p>So you may or may not have your internet radio and actual music variety for a little bit longer, depending on who lobbies harder, whether Congress gets its act together in time to put a hold on the enormous royalty fees, and if record companies start to see things differently.</p>
<p>As Friend puts it, "We'll keep streaming until somebody tells us to stop." With a lot of luck, no one will.</p>
http://www.readthehook.com/92405/news-phat-fees-day-music-died#commentsWNRNNewsMon, 27 Jun 2011 09:46:22 +0000anon92405 at http://www.readthehook.com